Collaborations

The Nitrogen Working Group works with partners across UVA to connect nitrogen research with practical action. Through collaborations with dining, sustainability, and students, we bring nitrogen reduction into everyday decisions on Grounds.

UVA Dine

Food is one of the largest contributors to UVA's nitrogen footprint, making our partnership with UVA Dine an important part of the NWG's work to understand and reduce nitrogen losses associated with food.

Reactive nitrogen enters the food system primarily through agricultural fertilizer use and animal byproducts; therefore, what we eat, and how that food is produced has a direct connection to nitrogen pollution. The NWG works with UVA Dine to better understand these impacts while highlighting plant-forward and sustainable food choices to the UVA community.

Outreach & Events

The NWG also collaborates with UVA Dine on events and educational activities that connect sustainable, plant-forward eating with environmental impacts. These collaborations give students opportunities to learn about nitrogen while engaging directly with the food choices available on Grounds.

Earth Day at UVA The NWG joined UVA Dine at an Earth Day event to connect students with the relationship between food choices, sustainability, and nitrogen pollution.

Taste Cart Through UVA Dine's Taste Cart, the NWG has helped highlight the connection between food and nitrogen at UVA dining halls.

Student Sustainability Employees

The NWG collaborates with UVA's Student Sustainability Employees (SSE) to bring sustainability research and education directly to students on Grounds. Together, we participate in events and outreach activities that make sustainability topics more accessible and actionable for the UVA community.

Green Your Dorm

The NWG regularly participates in Green Your Dorm events with the Green Living Team, engaging students around practical ways to make everyday choices more sustainable. These events provide an opportunity to introduce students to nitrogen and connect broader sustainability goals with actions they can take in their own lives.

UVA Housing & Residence Life

The NWG has collaborated with UVA Housing & Residence Life (HRL) to bring sustainability education into students' everyday living spaces. These projects have focused on making sustainability information visible and accessible within residence halls.

Let This Sink In Let This Sink In is a sustainability journal displayed on mirrors above dorm sinks. The project began as a pilot in Page-Emmett and provides students with accessible information about sustainability topics. Spring 2023 Water Edition  |  Spring 2024 Nitrogen Edition

Sustainable Laundry The NWG has also worked with HRL on sustainability education around laundry practices. The project encourages students to consider the environmental impacts of everyday laundry habits, including the energy savings associated with washing clothes in cold water.

Connecting Research & Action

From food purchasing and dining events to residence halls and student engagement, these collaborations help the NWG translate nitrogen research into practical sustainability action across UVA.